SOLUTIONS FOR PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The map of the former territory of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East was re-drawn through the Skyes Picot agreement of 1960 and the Lausanne Treaty of 1923. At the same time, these agreements divided Kurdistan into 4-5 parts. The designers of this new map were the British and French ruling powers of the day. After that period, the Soviet Union sought to further alter the dynamics of the region. That didn’t work out either. The State of Israel was established in 1948, after World War II. The establishment of the new state of Israel indicates that a state based on the rule of law Works and can function in the Middle East. The creation of the nation state of Israel carved out of the territory of Ottoman Palestine brought a new vision into the region, but this was not welcomed, accepted or respected by all. Israel is still treated with a complex mix of fear by the regional powers.

For the Kurds, life has long been a total misery. The Kurds have been forced by the civilised world to fight for their survival and for their homeland since 1923. Stability never materialised in the region. Nowadays, we are confronted by the Islamist terrorist groups operating under different names and banners throughout the region. But let it be clear: Al Qa’eda, El Nusra, and ISIS are similar organisations and did not simply fall from the sky. Regional states have been empowering them. Iran’s regime under the clerics, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and many others have all had a hand in the creation of the phenomenon. The civilised Western world and the United Nations are well aware of this fact.

The Kurds have been acknowledged more widely by the civilised world powers since the Islamic State’s terror campaign overran a large part of the Middle East: none of those so-called states of 1923 did anything about it. Kurds have been playing their part in many heroic actions in partnership with the civilised World as well as alone. The wider World, however, needs to understand that ISIS isn’t finished. Even if they were to be finished, other such entities will likely emerge. So, let us all pull our heads out of the sand and be more realistic. Israel is a good model for the region, and the borders need to be redrawn. The United States of Kurdistan needs to be recognised as an independent state. Thereafter, we all can work on finding lasting solutions. It is as simple as that. For this to be achieved, a long term plan urgently needs to be embraced, otherwise all the sacrifices in Iraq made by the USA and others, all the sacrifices made by the Kurds, the price paid by all of those who have been tortured beheaded and burned alive and the widespread carnage and destruction will be repeated over and over again. That has happened in Iraq now the regime of the Iranian clerics have undertaken their operations. Kirkuk and other areas have been seized back from the Kurds. Is this all the sacrifices made was for? So, what now?

Are they going to take Kobane and other areas in Syria from the Kurds as well? Is this what the civilised world is waiting for? Are those countries that created ISIS and similar terrorist organisations going to be protected and the Kurds be punished? Is this your plan?

For we Kurds, we must be united and fight for the establishment of the United States of Kurdistan. We have to do this with the right partners. It will be easy for the Kurds to achieve their goals with the right partners. That’s why it’s very important to reach an agreement.

It is vital that the leading world Powers urgently decide to answer this question: Are you going to use the mind and resources for order and stability or for short therm interests which will bring about widespread destruction affecting everyone?

No more ‘divide and rule’ policies against the Kurds – splitting the KRG so that Iran and Turkey can share the spoils of their historic enemies – enemies for no good reason other than that we are Kurds and want to be responsible for our own land and resources.

The times are very dangerous – Iran has not only largely taken control over central and southern Iraq, it seeks to usurp the Kurdish Regional Government and occupy all the Kurdish areas of Iraq. A terrible conflict threatens to ensue. Kurds have paid the price with their lives since 1923 – we say, ‘Enough!’ Futher efforts at genocide cannot be allowed. We have been strong allies against ISIS – just to be betrayed when the voice of the people declare their desire for true independent status in a democratic referendum? The high Kurdish voter turnout and impressive 92.7% YES vote can be compared favourably with the 51% split vote in secessionist Britain’s Brexit. European countries are not lining up to attack England for holding such a referendum. So long as Kurds lack a country of their own anda re masters in their own house they remain vulnerable to manipulation, invasion and slaughter. The time to act is now in protecting the will of the people in realising independent United States of Kurdistan.